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Overnight Finance: Biden watch; Crunch time on highway funding

We've got a complete list of the economic advisers behind all the presidential hopefuls in a special section at the end of tonight's newsletter...

TOMORROW STARTS TONIGHT: NEW ENERGY? BIDEN TOUTS ENERGY RECORD AS DECISION LOOMS, via Timothy Cama: "Vice President Biden used a Monday speech to outline his accomplishments on fighting climate change, going back nearly three decades. Biden repeatedly thanked business leaders assembled at the White House for their commitments to cut greenhouse gases. The vice president, who could announce any day whether he will run for president, detailed extensively his work both in the Senate and in the Obama administration on climate.

-- Jesse Byrnes on new WSJ / NBC poll: "Donald Trump is in first place in the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll of the Republican presidential race, though his edge over Ben Carson narrows to 25 percent to 22 percent. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) comes in third, with 13 percent." http://bit.ly/1PvcsD3

FRIENDLY REMINDER, WONKS - - > No one has any idea when they're going to elect a new Speaker of the House. The nation is set to hit the debt limit Nov. 5. The government runs out of funding Dec. 11.

Let's drink... Massachusetts-based "Bully Boy Whiskey" has just the right kick...

CHASER, via David Nassar, vice president for communications, The Brookings Institution, in a statement to The Hill: "Our decision was not connected in any way to the substance of his testimony, nor to Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-Mass.) disagreement with his views." http://bit.ly/1ZRZrHw

Do you agree with Wagner or Nassar? Shoot me an email. And I'll include the best responses tomorrow.

FINAL COUNTDOWN: HIGHWAY TRUST FUND EDITION, via Keith Laing: "Congress has just 10 days to pass an extension of federal highway funding to prevent an interruption in the nation's transportation spending. The current transportation funding measure is set to expire on Oct. 29, and lawmakers are scrambling again to craft a temporary extension before the deadline hits.

"There's little doubt that some sort of highway funding extension will materialize before the Oct. 29 deadline. The Senate has passed a multiyear highway bill in the summer and the House has scheduled a long awaited marked up a six-year highway bill of its own for Oct. 22. There will likely not be enough time for the measure to work its way through the House before the deadline, however, meaning transportation advocates will have to settle for another extension." http://bit.ly/1Lk3TXL

-- THE BOTTOM LINE: Perez has been adamant even before the Democratic backlash that he would make changes to the proposal after the public comment period. The biggest question for Perez is where or not he can convince Democrats that the changes go far enough and aren't merely talking points. Democrats have already proven that they're willing to buck the Warren-wing and the White House on this issue. Perez yet to say what he'll change and when he'll change it. http://bit.ly/1GPQvqh

ON-TAP FOR THE WEEK: My exclusive preview for the week ahead for financial services wonks: http://bit.ly/1M1xpiu

DEMS BACK HILLARY ON BENGHAZI, via Julian Hattem: "Republicans have 'no evidence' to support claims that Hillary Clinton was in any way responsible for the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, three years ago, according to Democrats who are going on the offense ahead of her testimony this week. "Democrats on the House Select Committee on Benghazi on Monday released a new 124-page report summarizing more than four-dozen interviews that the panel has conducted so far and taking aim at GOP criticism of Clinton's role during the 2012 violence. Nothing in those interviews substantiates GOP criticism of Clinton, the Democrats claimed." http://bit.ly/1LkR7Z7

EX-IM WATCH: WSJ EDITORIAL CALLS FOR REFORMS: "House Republicans are performing a séance on the Export-Import Bank, as 42 GOP Members have joined Democrats to sign a discharge petition that will force a vote on the House floor to revive the New Deal-era outfit. It's too bad Republicans are helping Nancy Pelosi reinstate business subsidies, but maybe there's a chance to salvage some reform." http://on.wsj.com/1PCGHaj

OVERNIGHT SPECIAL - - > BRAINS BEHIND CANDIDATES, via Mark Bloomfield, a contributor for The Hill: Mark's got a fascinating look at the men and women shaping the economic policy behind some of the leading contenders who want to be leader of the free world -- and the free market: (READ the entire piece here: http://bit.ly/1LH2PPb.)

-- HILLARY CLINTON: "[Clinton] is getting advice from more than 200 economists and academics who were part of her husband's presidency, her public life spanning several decades and the Obama establishment."

-- BEN CARSON: "Thomas Rustici, a virtually unknown professor at George Mason University, is the senior economic adviser to Ben Carson (R). His top priority is using tax reform to spark economic growth. He is devotee of laissez-faire icons Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman and James Buchanan. He opposes U.S. support of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank because it ends up funding "thugs," as he calls them, and corrupt governments."

-- MARCO RUBIO: "The Washington Post credited Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) with attracting the GOP's most sought-after policy expert. Lanhee Chen was policy director for Republican nominee Mitt Romney in 2012 and now teaches law and public policy at Stanford University."

-- JEB BUSH: Glenn Hubbard, dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Business, is a veteran adviser to presidential campaigns. He served as Council of Economic Advisers chairman under President George W. Bush. Hubbard subsequently advised Romney in 2012 and was considered a leading contender for Treasury secretary if Romney had won. Today, Hubbard is an adviser to former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-Fla.)."